Best of
Climbing, boxing and martial arts in the West Loop, Chicago
Combat sports and skill-based fitness in the West Loop — the First Ascent climbing gym on Morgan (in the space formerly run by Brooklyn Boulders), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Lake, mixed martial arts on Carroll, and one-on-one boxing in the gym where Muhammad Ali once trained. Every pick links to its full business page.
Climbing
Indoor climbing walls.
Boxing and martial arts
Combat sports and skill training.
- Glw Boxing Open now GLW Boxing at 1140 W Jackson — one-on-one boxing training ($70 a session, first session free) inside the Mercy Home gym where Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, once trained. No group classes.1140 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Mission Mma & Fitness Open now Mission MMA & Fitness at 1620 W Carroll — mixed martial arts and combat-sports training, just west of the neighborhood proper; first class free.1620 W Carroll Ave 1st, Chicago, IL, 60612
- Pow! Open now POW! at 310 S Racine — martial arts and sports-performance training.310 S Racine Ave 1st 1s, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Gracie Barra West Loop Open now Gracie Barra Chicago – West Loop at 630 W Lake — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in the Gracie Barra system. Adult, kids, and family programs plus law-enforcement training.630 W Lake St, Chicago, IL, 60661
- Premier Martial Arts West Loop Open now Premier Martial Arts at 1609 W Monroe, just west of Ashland — Karate, Krav Maga, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for adults and children, from the national franchise.1609 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL, 60612
Frequently asked questions
- Where can I rock climb in the West Loop?
- First Ascent Climbing & Fitness at 100 S Morgan is the climbing gym — top-rope, lead climbing, and bouldering, open to 11 pm on weeknights. It now operates the space formerly run by Brooklyn Boulders, which closed.
- Is there a boxing gym in the West Loop?
- GLW Boxing on Jackson offers one-on-one training (no group classes) in the storied Mercy Home gym. For group combat-sports classes, Mission MMA & Fitness on Carroll covers mixed martial arts. Title Boxing Club on Peoria closed in December 2025.
- Where can kids learn martial arts in the West Loop?
- Gracie Barra on Lake runs kids' and family Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programs, and Premier Martial Arts on Monroe teaches karate, Krav Maga, and Jiu-Jitsu for children and adults.
Listings checked against City of Chicago license status and our closure records on 2026-08-09. Most recent individual pick verified 6 days ago.